<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Gifted and Broken (Breeder AU) by Torikour</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25621579">Gifted and Broken (Breeder AU)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torikour/pseuds/Torikour'>Torikour</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Invader Zim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Biology, Angst, Breeder AU, Breeding, Fluff and Smut, Irken Empire (Invader Zim), M/M, Mpreg, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rough Sex, Smeets (Invader Zim), Vaginal Sex, Vortians, Xenophiliac Dib (Invader Zim), Zim is Defective (Invader Zim), dib/zim - Freeform, zitties, zussy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 08:20:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25621579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torikour/pseuds/Torikour</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dib always considered himself a huge risk-taker since the day he started chasing paranormal creatures- and aliens.</p><p>College on Earth was boring, and an adventure in space was something he needed.<br/>He also needed to find out why Zim had suddenly vanished off the face of Earth three years ago at the end of Hi Skool.</p><p>Dib was shocked to discover that Irk was overrun by the Resisty and the Vortians. The remaining Irkens were enslaved, and there were even Irken breeding facilities to keep the enslavement going.</p><p>And of course, Zim was the number one Irken breeding drone the world had to offer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>187</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Discovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“..what the fuck..” Dib mumbled as he looked wide eyed at the scene before him.</p><p>He had left Earth to have a space adventure, and to complete his mission of finding out what the hell happened to his nemesis. But nothing could have prepared him for this.</p><p>Here he was in the middle of space in Tak's ship, going through the galaxy’s data base for information about Zim. The little shit had left Earth without a word when he was 18, when they were nothing but enemies in Hi Skool. But near the end, Dib remembered Zim had been more quiet and closed off. The Irken has been avoiding him, and barely said a word about conquering Earth. He seemed scared- maybe even troubled. Until one day, he was gone. The whole property had been empty, and all that was left was marks of the house on the grass and the gaping holes on the houses next door.</p><p>So a few years later, Dib managed to fix up Tak’s ship by barely managing to get some advanced parts for it. He went online, and even asked his dad for help on some parts.<br/>
He had also been dealing with college, but decided to take a gap year for this journey. What he was currently in classes for was something he didn’t want to do. He had thought maybe he could force himself to like science, but he never could, and always felt like the sky- and space beyond it- was just calling out to him from above.</p><p>And so he left.</p><p>Tak’s ship could only take him so far due to it being put together by scraps and man-made mechanical parts. Even if Dib got to Irk, he needed to figure out how to fuel the ship up for the trip back to Earth. As well as fix some components that he knew were falling apart, but as long as he didn’t go super fast the ship would stay intact. If he wanted to go back to Earth after checking up on Zim, he would have to make sure everything was in tip top shape for his departure. </p><p>The human would like to know that his alien nemesis was alive and doing well before heading back. Sure they may have been enemies, but they both matured a bit overtime- and the more he thought about it, the more grateful Dib had become about Zim coming in to his boring life. He knew he probably would have ended up in the mental hospital, or even being super depressed if the Irken hadn’t been around. </p><p>Zim always knew how to make him feel better- even if it was in the most annoying ways like stealing one of his Moth-man figures and forcing Dib to chase him around the block. It was silly, and at the time Dib had no idea that Zim was doing all this to cheer him up and get him back to being 'normal Dib' instead of 'mopey Dib'. </p><p>“..this can’t be real.” Dib mumbled to himself, still dumbfounded by what was projected on the window screen of Tak’s ship.</p><p>‘VORTIAN’S WIN THE BATTLE!’<br/>
‘READ ABOUT THE FALL OF IRK, AND THE RISE OF THE RESISTY!’ </p><p>The bold headlines of the article said in all caps. Thankfully, Tak’s ship knew how to translate it to Irken, English, and all the other languages.<br/>
Dib knew once he got close enough to Irk, he would be able to access its network. However, had not been expecting it to be overrun like this. All he had searched was ‘Irk’ so that he could double-check he had the right coordinates.</p><p>“What the fuck do you mean fall of Irk??” Dib said to the screen, tapping the article and reading the in-depth description of the event. </p><p>‘Roughly around two years ago from this day, the Resisty combined forces with the once thought to be gone Vortians. Who have been surviving on hidden planets, keeping away from the Irken Empire till the time was right. Other Vortians and Resistance members were scattered about the Galaxy, but all came together to finally overthrow the Empire.’</p><p>‘The battle lasted months, and both sides lost many. But the Resisty won thanks to the Vortians. The Tallests were imprisoned, most Irken soldiers were dead and Irk was overrun.’ </p><p>‘There are only 10% of what the Irken population used to be existing this day, in hopes of transforming Irken’s to become a species to serve the Vortians. Those who fought, resisted or were loyal to their Tallests were all killed. The Tallests themselves are now nothing but slaves to our Vortian leader.’ </p><p>‘There are not many Irken’s left from the battle, and while some believe they should all be killed and extinct, others believe they can make Irkens obedient. If not by will, then by force using their Pak’s.’ </p><p>‘Irkens became available for purchase for collectors or anyone who seeks an Irken slave not long after the war ended. It wasn't long till Irkens became a rarity, and have been in high demand when word got out about Irkens being rather obedient and very yet close to extinction.’</p><p>‘It has been a number one need in the galaxy’s market, the business has been helping the Vortians and the Resisty gain money to fix what Irk had destroyed and help whoever they could. Races unite, bonds are repaired, and everyone celebrates in the fall of Irk.’</p><p>That was it for this article, and Dib didn’t know if he wanted to be overjoyed or punch the screen. The Empire had fallen, and the whole universe was safe from the threat of the Irkens abuse of power. Most importantly, Earth was safe. But Dib knew Earth was safe regardless of Irk’s fall or not, since the Tallests had not wanted Earth to begin with. Yet Zim had been in denial.</p><p>Zim was probably dead- the Irken had only ever lived to serve his Tallests. But it wasn’t his fault that he was raised in conditions that forced him to believe he was nothing without his Tallests. He was brainwashed, and forced to live a structured way where he didn’t even get to explore his own life. And he lived a life of being controlled without knowing it- which was even worse than knowing.</p><p>Dib felt really guilty. There had been attempts in the past when he tried to convert Zim. To befriend him and change him- He always got close to 'cracking' him, but the little invader was defensive and paranoid. Maybe if he had tried harder, he could have stopped Zim from walking straight into his doom?</p><p>“You’re not dead Zim.” Dib reassured himself, his sweaty hands going back to the search bar and typing in the letters ZIM. </p><p>The first thing that showed up made Dib gasp.</p><p>‘Irken Zim makes millions for the Vortian Empire!’ </p><p>"I knew it!" He smiled brightly upon seeing the bright title.</p><p>The article was posted today, since the most recent ones seemed to show up first at the top. Could this be his Zim? Dib knew it had to- since the Tallests knew only one Zim, so there should only be one Irken named Zim. He quickly clicked, and ignored the pop-up ad saying “Sell your Ship today!”. When he was finally able to see the website- everything turned upside down and made his heart sink. </p><p>‘There are not many Irken breeders left in Vort (previously Irk). Strict laws were set in place to stop the spread of breeders beyond Vort, and now there are only three breeding centres left- and it could be one very soon.’</p><p>‘The number one breeding Center award for this year goes to Smeetery Express once again- located in the capital of Vort. Their methods and conditions have been the most successful at providing customers with healthy Irken smeets and Irkens. They have Irkens of all ages, and many are sold in just one day! They are raised in an perfect environment, provided proper meals and have their own rooms unlike the Breeding Center in third place for this year- they raise Irkens in cages.’</p><p>‘But this isn’t the only success factor to this breeding facility. Going back to the battle, the most destructive, and un-killable Irken named ZIM was sent to multiple out posts where he destroyed literally everything. Many demanded his death after the victory, but many also wanted him for themselves. He was quite a gem, being the smallest Irken to ever exist. Collectors had their eyes on him the moment he was announced captured and to be sold. Vortian Koz- manager of Smeetery Express, won Zim by placing a bid down of one hundred and seven thousand monies. His following quote from the auction follows: </p><p>“I lost almost every penny in my wallet that day, but I knew exactly what I was going to do to make twice as much. Maybe more. My plan is not to be announced quite yet- I’m aware that others may know I have bought a few other Irkens already- and I am not a collector. I am simply something better.”</p><p>‘Koz made his final purchase with Zim, and not long after started his breeding business. We have yet to interview him on what makes Zim so special apart from his height, and why his smeets are in such high demand. The waiting list goes on for years! And never has Vort gained so much money- our leader thanks Koz and hopes that he becomes even more successful in his career.’</p><p>Dib turned off the screen for a moment, sitting back in his seat and trying to let everything sink in.</p><p>“The fuck?! They’re- Zim- He isn’t some kind of animal!” He was getting angry with each moment, and needed to calm himself down before he did any more research. How dare they treat him that way? Locked up and probably being forced to breed- </p><p>But at least Zim was alive. </p><p>“He’s alive” </p><p>Dib said to himself out loud, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath. “He’s alive.” The human repeated again, trying to make himself feel better. </p><p>He got back on the Internet, and typed in Smeetery Express whilst trying not to type so hard. The website came up, and Dib felt both disgust and slight curiosity. Never had he seen a smeet before, and many pictures of smeets were there on the homepage.</p><p>‘Call now to order an Irken!’<br/>
‘Now hiring! Click here to apply!’ </p><p>So Dib had two options- call and ask a few questions, or try to get hired. For now, he just needed to get to Zim. Talk to him and make sure he was ok. Because maybe- maybe Zim liked this job? Maybe he was actually passionate about it and liked working in this kind of field? The article and website made it seem like no Irken was being abused, and the facility looked like a luxurious hotel. But he couldn't be sure and needed to find out.</p><p>Dib decided to call, figuring that he could try and find out more with a few questions of his own. So he clicked the ‘call to order now’ button, and was placed on the line till the next available agent picked up. </p><p>“This is taking too long.” He grunted after waiting for two hours straight. He had finished watching a whole entire movie on his phone- </p><p>“Thank you for choosing Smeetery Express, please know that our breeding drones are not for sale. So, how may I assist you today?” A female voice spoke. </p><p>Dib sat up straight in his chair. “Hi! Uh.. I wanted to know more about Zim.”</p><p>“Zim is not for sale, but if you are interested in a smeet from him, I can put you on the waiting list. Did you have a specific drone you’d like him to be bred by? Using your own Irken drone would cost extra, or you can choose a drone from our website. Your cheapest option is going with the random one- meaning you will have any smeet from one of Zim’s litters regardless of the drone that bred him.” The female said as noises were heard in the background- it sounded like a really busy office. "If you wish to use your own Irken, we will need proof of vaccinations and a physical exam before hand." </p><p>“..Ok. So uh- can you tell me more about Zim though? Like.. is he healthy- doing well? And what makes his smeets so special..?” He shrugged, feeling a little uneasy. </p><p>“You can check his profile on our website. Or, are you referring to an observation session?” She asked, and now Dib felt stupid. He really should have went through the whole website before hastily calling. </p><p>“..What’s an observation session? Sorry I’m just.. new to this whole thing. I come from a planet six months away, and I got a ton of money so just want to know everything before I spend, ya know?” He tried to play it cool, and the lady chuckled. </p><p>“Yes yes, no worries sir! An observation session is where you can book an appointment to come and visit some of the breeding drones. To get a closer look at their appearance and behaviour. Some of our customers like to double check the quality of their antenna, color of eyes since some of them don’t show as well in front of a camera.” She hesitated for a bit, as if trying to remember. “You can book a private observation, where one of our staff will take you to see any drone you would like. Or you could go with the group observation, where a staff member would take you and a group to see all the drones. These usually last a couple hours since we have so many.”<br/>
“If you are looking for a smeet, they are only available through order. We do however have an adoption centre across the street if you are needing to give your Irken away or are looking to adopt.” She said so casually.</p><p>Dib hated how these Vortian’s spoke as if Irkens were dogs. Zim was a person- an intelligent being that shouldn’t be treated like this.. unless he wanted to. </p><p>“I’d like a private tour then! I’d like to see Zim.” He said in a hurry. </p><p>“Alright. The next availability is in ten months. Can I have your name?”</p><p>“TEN MONTHS?!” Dib yelled a little too loudly. </p><p>“..Unless you have a lot of money, you can book one for today with our manager. He’s the expert of the place- but usually nobody has enough to book a private observing with him, so his schedule isn’t too full.” She said as if knowing Dib’s answer. </p><p>“How much?” </p><p>“Eight thousand monies for an one hour observing session.”</p><p>“..uh.. hm.. give me a second.” Dib put the call on hold before thinking throughly. This was the only way he could see Zim today. If he didn’t, then he would have to wait ten whole months on Vort. What would he do during then? It wasn’t like he was about to try and break in to an alien breeding centre either.<br/>
It was now, or ten months. Dib had already been travelling through space for what seemed like forever for one purpose- find Zim. That was the whole point of leaving Earth! As well as wanting a break from life in general. </p><p>Dib made up his mind. He wanted to see Zim today. He was close enough to Vort- and could be there in a few hours. But how would he get eight thousand monies? </p><p>He then suddenly recalled the pop-up ad about selling a ship. He could sell Tak’s ship- it was pretty much just scraps anyway, and most likely wouldn’t make it all the way back to Earth unless Dib could fix it up on Irk.<br/>
But if he gave away the ship, how would he get back to Earth? He could maybe obtain a new ship somehow.. maybe find work, and earn some cash and live on Irk for a while- like a vacation. </p><p>He had always been a risk-taker, and he was well aware that he was now taking a big risk. </p><p>But he didn’t come all the way here just to wait ten months- he didn’t know if he could even survive ten months. So his best option was to see Zim today, make sure he was ok, then earn some money, get a ship and head home! </p><p>He then brought Tak’s personality back online. He had turned it off due to it being too annoying earlier.</p><p>“How much are you worth?” He asked in a whisper, as if the lady could hear him. </p><p>“You FINALLY bring me online, just to ask how much I’m worth?!”</p><p>“What? You don’t worth a lot then?“ Dib snickered teasingly. </p><p>“I’ll have you KNOW that I’m worth AT LEAST ten thousand monies!” </p><p>“Ok thanks!” </p><p>“WAI-“ </p><p>Dib took the personality offline, then went back to the call. “I’d like to book a private observing then. To see Zim.” He said with confidence, really looking forward to seeing the Irken. He wondered if Zim had changed- what if he was currently carrying a litter? He would have to seriously mentally prepare himself for that if he was currently pregnant. Never in his life had he ever though to see his little arch nemesis being maternal in anyway.</p><p>“Alright! What time would work best for you Sir?” She asked, typing away at her computer.</p><p>Dib checked his course on the map, and saw that he could be on Irk- in three hours. But he would need sometime to find a buyer. He had thought a little irrationally out of desperation, but he had hoped that Irken tech was valued due to the lack of it now that Irk was gone.</p><p>“Uh.. six hours from now.” He shrugged a little, hoping three hours would be enough time for him to find someone willing to buy the ship. And from there, he could finally meet Zim and make sure that he was doing ok or not. But what would Dib do if Zim was wanting to get out of the facility? His heart told him to help him escape, but his mind told him it would be impossible. </p><p>For now, he decided to think about that later.</p><p>Tak’s ship had said it was worth at least ten thousand. Hopefully he could get by with two thousand left over- and this would all be a nice adventure anyway. Maybe he could even set up an actual life for himself on Vort- its not like he liked college or Earth anyway. The only issue was his family- his dad and Gaz, he would want to see them and visit them if he decided to live here for a bit.</p><p>He didn’t travel so long just to say hi to Zim and scurry back to Earth now that he thought about it. He took a year break for a reason- and maybe Zim would be ok. If so, he can use the remaining money to get a mediocre ship smaller than this one right away if two thousand was enough for one. </p><p>“Ok, you are all booked for 8pm. Can I have your first and last name?” She asked, making Dib hesitate. </p><p>Should he just give away his real name? It’s not like any of the Vortians knew him, so it should be fine.<br/>
“Dib Membrane.” He replied, hearing more keys being tapped.</p><p>“You are all set! Just remember you will need to pay upfront before the observation at the front desk.” She said in a happy, high pitched voice. </p><p>“Got it. Thanks.” He said as she ended the call. Now he just had to spend sometime searching for a buyer- but thankfully, his suspicions were right. Irken tech was valued, and there were many collectors on the hunt for it. </p><p>—————</p><p>It hadn’t been difficult for Dib to sell the ship after all. In fact, he was able to sell it for twenty thousand monies, twice the price Tak had told him- which would leave him with twelve thousand left after his observation appointment. It seemed like the ship having a personality was a huge bonus, which bumped up the price. Dib had found a handful of collectors who collected Irken things and had been reaching out to all of them. Dib went with the first person who responded, who happened to be only an hour away from the Smeetery Express.</p><p>He was very grateful that the ship had an automatic translator, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to communicate with anyone. But as a back up, he had Tak’s watch. He created his own Irken disguise just incase, since he had thought that Zim would be in some kind of Irken populated city. </p><p>Dib was now walking through that thought-to-be-Irken city, having already sold his ship by one of the landing pads and now only had a backpack full of supplies as well as his money. It was getting dark, but the city just seemed to be getting brighter in return.</p><p>But the brightest thing Dib saw was across the street. A road leading straight to a huge pink lit building. Hovering cars and spaceships were flooding in and out of the parking lot-which was full. The whole place seemed like one big, busy convention center.</p><p>He walked up the perfect path, wanting to get inside now that he could feel the cold wind which gave him a little shiver.<br/>
As soon as the doors opened, Dib saw a line to the front desk and got in it in a hurry- since it was a very long line. </p><p>The whole time he was standing, he kept his gaze down. He could tell other aliens- mostly Vortians- were staring, and also whispering. Dib didn’t want to meet any of their eyes, and focused on his shoes. He stepped forward when the person in front took a step, and from there he mentally practiced what he would say when he got to the front of the line.</p><p>He finally approached the polished desk, taking one quick look around the place, since it really felt like some kind of fancy love hotel at first glance. So much pink, purple, red and even gold. Soft cushioned chairs and couches for the waiting area, and velvet carpet covering most of what was beneath his shoes.</p><p>“Hello, how may I help you today?” The pink tinted Vortian said with a bright smile. Her curled horns had little bows on them- and she was kinda cute.</p><p>Dib pushed the thought aside, and focused on the task at hand. “Dib Membrane, here for the private observation with the manager. I was told it was eight thousand monies. So..” Dib took the alien monies out of his bag- he had put it in the same wallet he used for money back on Earth. A special wallet given to him by his father that would only open with his finger prints. </p><p>“Here.” He handed it to the Vortian, who quickly counted all the pieces. </p><p>“Perfect. I’ll let Koz know you are here. You can take a seat, and he’ll be right with you.” She chuckled. “Its been a while since anyone spent eight thousand monies just to look at an Irken. Its definitely over priced.. but I hope it will be worth it.” She gave him one last smile, which made Dib blush. </p><p>“..Ha.. yeah.. I’ll.. go sit now!” He rushed away from the front desk and seated himself on one of the empty velvet single seats. </p><p>How long had it been since he last had a partner? Dib had dated two people in college, but one ended up cheating on him while the other he broke up with due to realizing she had only loved him because she was a huge fan of his dad’s work and was obsessed with the dream of working there. She also completely dropped her act of being a nice-girlfriend as soon as Dib discovered.<br/>
The guy before that was actually genuinely nice. He was small, had cute freckles on his face with short brown hair. Dib had trusted him, but it was definitely a shocker to walk home to his ex-boyfriend having sex in their dorm with a stranger. Well, at least to Dib the other guy was a stranger.</p><p>“Dib Membrane?”</p><p>He flinched, being pulled back to reality as he sat up straight. “Yeah! Thats me!” He smiled uneasily, standing up and getting to eye level with the Vortian.<br/>
The guy was a little taller than him, with navy blue skin. His horns went straight back, except one was broken half way- so he had a horn and a half. His eyes were sea green, and he looked like he could be in his twenties or thirties.</p><p>“I never thought I’d be giving one of these private tours- I was close to removing the option, but I’m glad I didn’t!” He held his four fingered hand out. “Koz, manager of the place. Its great to meet you-“ He took a closer look at DIb as he shook his hand.<br/>
“I’ve never seen your species before.. I must say, you have quite a long horn!” He said sounding impressed as he looked at the zig zagged hair on Dib’s head.</p><p>“Oh..ha.. thanks.” He didn’t feel like correcting the guy, and was now wanting nothing more than to see Zim. He was socially awkward with strangers, and Zim in fact, wasn’t a stranger. </p><p>It dawned upon him that they were so close than ever- thee years. They had been separated for three years, and now he was going to see him. </p><p>“Well, you wanted to see Zim, correct? He’s quite popular around here.” The Vortian gestured for Dib to follow, and the two went beyond a ‘staff only’ door.</p><p>“Yep! Zim’s the one.”Dib said whilst falling a little behind, since he was busy looking around as if he was in a museum.</p><p>“Are you looking to breed him with your own Irken, or an Irken from our facility? I do have to say that IF you are wanting to breed your own Irken with him, there are specific requirements as well as a checkup to make sure your Irken is healthy and has no diseases and all. Its just protocol.” Koz said with a laugh.</p><p>“Oh no no-“ What was Dib going to say? That he just wanted to see Zim? Would that sound weird?<br/>
“I’m here to just.. consider taking one of Zim’s smeets.” That had been the most uncomfortable lie Dib had ever told.</p><p>“And you want to see if its worth it, right?” Koz laughed again. “If you want, we can walk by the smeets wing and I can show you some of the finest smeets he gave birth to last week! The compatibility with the other Irken had been perfect, and I think I’ll have him breed with him again..” Koz tapped his chin, then turned a corner. “This way!”</p><p>Dib wished he could do something more than just listen, because none of this sounded right. And now, he was hoping that Zim loved it here. But the idea of Zim having sex and giving birth didn’t sound like something he would be happy to do.<br/>
Plus, Irkens were enslaved. Yeah he read a few articles that said a lot of Irkens enjoyed serving their masters and truly loved working. And that very few were actually depressed or sad- something about Irken’s being bred to work, and it also said how they were made to become slaves and all. </p><p>It still didn’t feel right. First Zim was a slave to his Tallests- so blinded by the need to be approved. And now- </p><p>“Here we are!” Koz stopped in front of a room, putting his hand under something that looked like a hand sanitizer dispenser.<br/>
“I’ll show you some of his smeets, but I’m going to need you to clean your hands. The little ones can be so sensitive to germs early in their lives.” Koz said as he carefully watched Dib put his hand under the dispenser, and rub the liquid all over both his hands.</p><p>The door hissed open, and the two walked in.</p><p>About ten incubators were in this nursery-like room. A few smeets were asleep, and some were awake.</p><p>“All of these guys are from Zim’s latest litter!” Koz said as he walked up to one of the incubators, very carefully taking out a smeet.</p><p>‘Holy fuck- these are Zim's kids..’ Dib thought to himself, quickly going over to Koz.</p><p>“Look at how perfect his skin is! And this antenna? A pretty rare form from the father’s side. Have you handled any youngling’s before?” Koz said as Dib nervously nodded.</p><p>“I held a baby onc-“ Before Dib could speak further, the little smeet was being placed in his arms.</p><p>“Take a look at him for yourself. He’s one of the best smeets in this litter. He is scoring pretty high on the intellegence test for his age!” Koz said as Dib very carefully held the smeet.</p><p>He was just like a little Zim- ruby eyes, similar face structure, the only difference was the antenna.<br/>
“..Hey little guy..” The human smiled as the smeet wrapped its tiny hand around his finger. Dib thought he would die of cuteness as the baby looked up at him with an adorable smile. How could Zim manage to make such an adorable little thing?</p><p>“Cute, right? Just like his mother.” Koz hummed, giving Dib a few more moments. If only Koz knew what Zim had been like on Earth.. But he was cute to an extent.</p><p>‘I can’t believe I’m holding Zim’s kid- holy shit-‘ He kept thinking to himself as he let the smeet play with his hand.</p><p>“Unfortunately, this little one has already gotten a home. He will be raised here until he is old enough to work, and then he will be given to his master.” Koz gently took the baby out of his arms, and Dib already missed him. He already wanted to bring him home despite not knowing a thing about being a parent- because his future plans sounded horrible. This smeet needed a dad, not an owner.</p><p>Not being able to do much, Dib left the room feeling kinda glum. Koz then suddenly started spraying him with some weird smelling spray he got out of nowhere.</p><p>“Dude! What the hell!” Dib coughed, batting the droplets away.</p><p>“First thing to know about breeding Irkens, is that the mothers can be very maternal and literally go crazy for their smeets. This spray will get rid of all the smeet's scent, and you’ll also want to sanitize your hands again for extra measure. Even though I’m sure the spray is enough since this stuff spreads on the surface of whatever it lands on.” Koz shrugged, finishing up spraying himself before setting the bottle down on a table placed in the open hallway.</p><p>“So do Irkens get aggressive or something..?" Dib asked out of curiosity, and also wanting to fill in the silence as they continued their journey down a hallway.</p><p>“Very. All smeets need to be separated from their mothers right after being born- we can’t have the mother bonding to them. You really don’t want to know what could and would happen.” Koz said darkly, which made Dib more uncomfortable than he already was.</p><p>They walked in silence for a couple minutes, until Dib was reminded of the one question he had been meaning to ask-</p><p>“What makes Zim so special compared to other Irkens?” He shoved his hands in his pockets, tagging along.</p><p>“Zim has the most defective Pak any Irken could have, which is such a great quality.” Koz smiled. “Because a defective Pak means a stronger body for Zim. Think of it as…hm.. would you rather eat something artificially flavored, or something natural? Zim is not so mechanical like the others, and since his Pak is so defective, his body is relying mostly on itself. Pak’s are a really fiddly thing.. It modifies an Irken’s perfect body and makes them artificial. Zim is like a pure bred Irken, and is the closest you are going to get to a pure Irken rather than some control-brain modified one.”<br/>
“Not to mention his height!” Koz said almost excitedly. “He is the smallest Irken alive, which may have been looked down upon the Irken Empire, but in our eyes its a great plus. Zim is considered to be a rare breed if you must. Small Irkens are uncommon, and many of our customer’s prefer their irken's to be shorter than them. They need to be at a non threatening hight, and also have some of Zim’s fiery spirit! I’m guessing you are not aware of his actions during the great battles three years ago?”</p><p>Dib frowned a little. “Oh I know. He killed a shit ton of people by destroying their outposts.”</p><p>“Yes! Isn’t It fascinating?! Such a small creature, able to do all that with a defective Pak! He has quite the spirit, and it definitely passes on well to all of his smeets! A ton of Zim's smeets have won competitions, and even had the privilege of being owned by our supreme leader!” Koz said with delight. </p><p>“Thats.. amazing!” Dib really tried to sound happy, and it seemed to have worked. </p><p>“Indeed it is! Oh that Irken is just amazing in my eyes. His smeets are strong and don’t rely on Paks as much- and that’s a quality many owners want to have in their Irken. Since if one thing goes wrong with a Pak- that Irken is dead. But if it was Zim’s smeet? Or Zim himself even! A thousand things were wrong with his Pak, and he’s still alive and perfectly fine.” Koz then stopped in front of a room. </p><p>“And here we are. Zim’s room!” Koz clasped his hands. “Unlike the other breeding facilities, we give our Irkens a full room to themselves with complete privacy from other Irkens.”</p><p>Dib looked at the tall metal door- there was some kind of screen going across the upper part, but Dib couldn’t see past it.<br/>
A small panel was on the side- most likely used for punching in a code to open the door. And then there was some slot at the bottom of the wall next to the door. An empty tray sat right outside of it, and Dib assumed it was for food. </p><p>“Are you ready to see Zim? I must warn you though, he’s not too found of… well.. anyone to be honest. He can’t harm you, but he will most likely run away from you. BUT-“ Koz got something out of his pocket- it looked like a small packet of M&amp;M’s.<br/>
“He will come to you for treats. Irkens love their sweet treats. They will do anything to eat something other than the kibble we feed them.” Koz shrugged. “The kibble is really healthy for them- but we all know healthy things don’t taste very good.” He said as he handed the packet to Dib.</p><p>“Yeah..” Dib mumbled, looking at the packet while Koz typed some code and then scanned one of the tips of his fingers on the panel beside the door.</p><p>The door suddenly hissed open, and Dib saw something scurry under the bed in the room. It was a split second, but he felt like he saw the foot of an Irken.</p><p>“No need to be afraid.” Koz smiled and casually walked in the room. Dib followed, and the door hissed shut behind him.</p><p>“He’s under the bed- its his favorite hiding spot.” Koz leaned against the wall next to the closed door. “Go on. Lure him out- he will pick up the scent of the treats.” He gestured for Dib to go ahead.</p><p>The human took a deep breath, and took a few steps closer to the bed. He knelt down, hearing something that sounded like a hiss mixed with a growl.</p><p>“He won’t hurt you. He knows better than to attack anyone.” Koz reassured him as he watched Dib open the packet of treats.</p><p>The hissing stopped all the sudden.</p><p>“He smells it.” The Vortian said in amusement, still watching. “He will most likely grab the treat and go back under the bed. If you want to see him, you’ll want to take a few steps back.”</p><p>“Ok.” Dib had to agree- he was too close to the bed. So he shifted back, still kneeling on one knee as he put a few treats on his palm. </p><p>“Zim? I.. I’m Dib.” The human lowered his hand, and now Zim had a clear view of his target from under the bed.</p><p>He could only see a few boots- but what mattered was the treats. He hadn’t had any treats since after he gave birth. He really wanted some- because it was the only good thing in his life right now.</p><p>Dib waited, and eventually the little Irken crawled out from under the bed. Once Zim was fully out, he completely froze when he saw who was holding out the treats.</p><p>“Zim-“ The human blushed a little- why was he dressed like this? Why did he have breasts? Wait- no, he knew the answer to that question. But was it really necessary for him to be wearing something that literally looked like a lacy bikini? </p><p>The Irken couldn’t believe his eyes- he thought he must be dreaming. There was no way a human was before him- yet alone, Dib himself! Earth was so far away, and why would Dib come to see him anyway?</p><p>“I think he’s intureged by your species! Even I have never seen… what are you again?” Koz asked.</p><p>“A human. I’m a human.” Dib said whilst keeping his eyes on Zim. His hips were wide, with stretch marks around the sides of his flat belly. He was still the same height- his face still looked like the same Zim Dib had known for about six years of his life.</p><p>Zim was slow to approach the human- who was exactly his height if he remained kneeling. </p><p>“Are you.. doing ok?” Dib asked, surprised that Zim wasn’t saying a word. </p><p>“He won’t respond. We disabled his language processor and translator. Its common protocol for breeding Irkens.. They can be really noisy. Plus, there have been issues with other breeders of Irkens evesdropping on conversations and communicating with each other to escape and all. Zim in particular was rather loud with threats when we first brought him in.” Koz chuckled.</p><p>It wasn’t funny. Dib hated this- he hated what they did to his Zim. He hated how they treated him. </p><p>He was going to bring Zim back to Earth with him. No matter what the cost.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Expertise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dib stayed completely still, keeping his hand held out with little treats on his palm. Both the human and Irken met each other's gaze. As if trying to decipher what the other was thinking, their eyes remained focused. </p><p>Zim took a step closer.</p><p>Then another step. </p><p>And another. </p><p>He stood right in front of Dib, his ruby eyes scanning his facial features with a serious expression. Dib could tell gears were turning in Zim’s brain-or Pak. The Irken was analysing him, thinking of all the possibilities of why he was here and how he had gotten here. </p><p>Zim wanted the human to take him far away from here. He would do anything. He would rip out his own organs and eat shit if he had to. He wanted out, and this was his only ticket. A true miracle in Zim's eyes.<br/>But Dib had every excuse to just leave him right here. Maybe the human had came to rub his freedom in his face. Maybe boast about how Irk had fallen and he had ‘won’ to some extent. Zim had showed Dib nothing but hostility during all the years he was on Earth. They had been enemies! </p><p>But that human was here. Right now-looking a little empathetic. Zim finally had a way- finally met someone he knew for once. Someone he considered to be his only ‘friend’. The only other being who actually had appreciated Zim for who he was on some level. </p><p>The Irken moved back a little before his knees dropped to the floor. Unable to understand the gibberish mumbles coming out of Dib’s mouth, or even respond, all he could do was lower his head in submission. Bowing before him on the ground as if praising him. It was the only thing Zim could do to show that he was apologising for everything. That he was sorry for all the suffering he had caused this human. And maybe then he would get a chance at freedom. </p><p>Koz stood up straight, no longer leaning against the wall. This was quite the show, and he was actually impressed. </p><p>“He’s never done that before.” Koz said as he watched closely. Zim would always minimise his exposure when anyone was in the room with him. He would grab treats and go right back under the bed and stay there till everyone left. </p><p>“Do you uh.. know what he’s doing?” Dib turned, asking the Vortian. </p><p>“..He’s submitting to you. Surrendering if you must.” Koz tapped his chin. </p><p>Zim kept his forehead in the ground, trying so hard not to worry about the exchange of mumbles from above. </p><p>What were they saying? </p><p>Was Dib asking about him? </p><p>Was he doing something wrong? </p><p>Did his human not understand? </p><p>“..oh..” Dib frowned. “..can I touch him?” He asked a little awkwardly.</p><p>“I mean.. you can try. He hates being touched, so he might run back under the bed.” Koz said with confidence. </p><p>The human took a deep breath- then gently lowered his free hand, very carefully petting Zim’s head. </p><p>The Irken did indeed flinch, and jump away as soon as he felt it. But after seeing the saddened look on Dib’s face and understanding that he was not trying to hurt him- Zim was able to calm himself down. <br/>He still didn’t like being touched. Whenever he was touched, he was exploited, violated and used. Being blinded or restrained- he had never really felt affection before apart from during the birth of his smeets. Where sometimes, the staff would rub the base of his antenna to ease the nausea he felt during labour. </p><p>Zim moved back over to Dib, then put his head right back under the hand that had been trying to pet him- which hadn’t moved since Zim scurried away. </p><p>Dib smiled at that, and continued to pet Zim on the head. The Irken sat down, feeling relaxed as Dib did so. </p><p>“..this is.. very strange.” Koz stepped closer. “Zim has never behaved this way towards anyone before. I’ve.. never seen him like this. You seem to be doing a better job than his play therapist.” The Vortian stopped walking closer as soon as Zim looked at him- he could tell the Irken was debating on running away to his hiding spot, so he stayed still.</p><p>“A play therapist?” Dib raised an eyebrow, keeping his hand on Zim while he looked back at Koz.</p><p>“Well, in our breeding facility, we make sure Irken’s don’t spend anytime together or get to know each other. They all must be separated and can not see another Irken except for during mating- the fertilising drone is allowed to look at the other during breeding.” Koz sighed. “There are a lot of reasons we do this, but one being so that the Irken’s won’t form friendships and bond with each other. Anyway! Irken’s however, still need to socialise. Just not with other Irkens.” Koz knelt down on the floor, wanting to get a better look at Zim. </p><p>“A couple days a week, an Irken will get to hang out with a play therapist in their room. It’s basically a behavioural analysis and teaching session for Irkens. Some Irken’s spend the hour getting affection, or just a buddy to hang out with. But some Irken’s like Zim.. tend to hide throughout the whole hour till the therapist leaves their room.” Koz eyed Dib. “He seems to trust you. Are you an Irken-whisperer or something?” He chuckled, making Dib feel a little shy. </p><p>“I mean.. I know a lot about Irken behaviour.” Zim’s behaviour to be specific. </p><p>“I would love to hire you- but unfortunately, we can only hire Vortians..” Koz frowned. “It became a new rule after we’ve had multiple alien species from other planets try to steal Irkens, sexually abuse them and just abuse them in general. A few have a growing hate towards them, and we even had a case where a batch of smeets were killed along with a few of our finest carriers- which are drones that carry, like Zim.” He gestured to the happy Irken in the room, continuing to get affection. </p><p>“I must say though, progress and business has been much better since that rule was set in place. Us Vortian’s actually respect the wishes of our authorities. Now- I’m not saying you will do the same! But there is just so much I don’t know. I’ve never even heard of your species before.” </p><p>“I understand.” Dib sighed, his hand moving away from Zim. How the hell was he going to get Zim out of here? If he asked if Zim was for sale, it would be too suspicious. And he already knew the answer anyway. </p><p>What other option did he have?</p><p>Suddenly, Zim went forward and put his head against Dib’s chest, coming to sit on his lap. It was the only thing the Irken could think of to show that- he wanted Dib to stay. He wanted Dib around and wanted more of his gentle touches.</p><p>“Holy Vort- he willingly went on your lap??” Koz seemed surprised, more so than before. He inched closer, needing to get an even closer look.</p><p>Dib couldn’t stop himself from hugging the Irken- he really missed him. He felt bad for him, and wished he could tell him that he wanted to help him. There was no way he could just leave here and live the rest of his life knowing that Zim was being impregnated and used as some kind of smeet-producing machine! </p><p>Zim began purring, finally feeling protected. He felt safe, knowing that Dib was here and clearly didn’t want to hurt him. Dib had looked sad, and Zim could sense the human’s nervousness. But he knew Dib was never the type to lie or betray. The human had always been soft- whenever they worked together as enemies, Zim was usually the one to betray him. Then Dib would go on about how horrible he was.. </p><p>“You’re ok Zim..” Dib held him close, noticing how the alien was listening to his heart beat and nuzzling himself into Dib more. <br/>The treats had long gone been forgotten, and were now scattered on the floor. Dib began to wonder if Zim was being fed properly. Was he craving treats because he wasn’t given enough to eat? Or was the kibble actually bad? </p><p>Dib suddenly blushed at the feeling of breasts being pushed up against him. He looked down, finding Zim looking up with shimmering eyes. The human only then realised where Zim was sitting and how nicely he was actually dressed. He never thought he’d ever be sexually attracted to his arch nemesis.. but he had always been interested in Zim one way or another. And this was still the same Zim- just wider hips, bigger thighs and plump breasts on his chest. Dib just hoped the Irken wouldn’t turn around- he didn’t know if he was ready to see that yet. </p><p>“He really likes you..” Koz was still trying to figure everything out. “Maybe it’s your species? Do you have some kind of aroma that attracts Irkens?” </p><p>Dib chuckled, shaking his head. “No. I think he just knows that I’m not going to hurt him. Have you ever thought that maybe Zim is scared of Vortians? Maybe it’s due to the battles he faced- since I’m sure many Vortian’s have tried to kill him, and have killed his friends.” The human started petting Zim again, being very slow and gentle. </p><p>“..That- wow. I never considered. You are a smart human Dib Membrane! But.. it’s unfortunate that we have that law set in place now. We can only hire Vortians- wait.. but Zim had been afraid of other species that have worked here too. Or maybe it’s because those species were in the Resisty..? Maybe he had fought them too. But he has never seen an alien like you before, so that’s why he must be comfortable with you.” A lightbulb seemed to go off in the Vortian’s brain. </p><p>“Ok. I have an idea.. which could take months, but- I’m honestly too happy that Zim is actually comfortable with someone. This could make milk extraction much easier-“ Koz then searched for something in his jacket, then pulled out something that looked like a plastic bottle with a weird nozzle. </p><p>The Vortian tossed it over to Dib, who caught it with one hand. “What is-“ </p><p>“I just want to see if he will let you do this. If he does, I’ll share my idea with you.” Koz was testing Dib. “That one is a manual extractor. We usually use a machine to efficiently get as much milk as we can, but some Irken’s are afraid of the machines.” Koz said as he briefly explained how to use it- he was fairly simple, Dib just had to hold it and press the button on the side of the bottle. It was technically still mechanic, but must less noisier and more small. “These ones are tedious since you have to bring a lot of them to one extracting session.” Koz sat back, crossing his legs and stayed a few feet away. </p><p>“..oh.. um.. ok.” The human blushed, unsure of how to approach this. </p><p>“There is a zipper going down the middle of his uniform.” The Vortian said as Dib’s eyes fell on the ‘uniform’. </p><p>This felt wrong, and very intimate in Dib’s opinion. But if Zim didn’t like it, he could run away if he wanted to. <br/>But the Irken seemed to be enjoying the comfort of his one arm wrapped around him, cradling him almost on his lap. </p><p>Dib set the bottle down, and moved his hand nervously to the Irken’s chest. “I..I’m gunna unzip this. O..Ok?” He spoke with a shaky voice, even though he knew Zim couldn’t understand. </p><p>The Irken could see Dib rest his hand on his chest, and see the fingers tapping the zipper. <br/>Zim knew what Dib was wanting to do. He had seen Koz toss the bottle to him. The Irken was quick to nod, since- this means he would get to spend more time with Dib. If he refused, the human might leave. </p><p>The Irken’s face darkened a little as his human unzipped. Even Dib seemed to be blushing from what Zim could tell- the human was acting as if he had never seen breasts before. It was a little strange. </p><p>Once it was unzipped, he picked up the bottle and moved it closer to Zim. He paused, unsure if he was just supposed to put the breast shield on and-</p><p>Then Zim took the human’s trembling hand in his hands, guiding him. He showed him how to place it, then smiled softly at Dib. </p><p>Dib smiled back, and pressed the button. Zim didn’t flinch, or move, or avert his gaze. He was used to this feeling by now- except usually he would be dragged out from under the bed and restrained as they milked him dry. </p><p>“..My plan-" Koz cleared his throat. "was to appeal for a position for you here to the authorities. I can send them a letter, asking if they could allow you to have this position since I’ve never seen anyone with the same expertise as you.” <br/>“There is a fifty fifty chance the appeal will be denied or accepted. But.. if it is accepted and you are granted permission, would you like to work here? We pay our play therapists pretty well, but seeing your skill set.. I think I could offer a bit more.” Koz smiled. "Zim is also the best carrier this facility has to offer, and I think your presence would make him and his smeets better." </p><p>“W-yeah! I want to work here-“ Being paid to hang out with Zim? No problem! It gave him more time to figure out a way to break Zim out. And also time to map out the place and figure out a proper plan. </p><p>“Excellent! Now like I said- it may take a couple months to hear back- three months at max!” </p><p>Zim wondered what’s the two were talking about. He wondered if Dib was going to stay, and wondered if he could take him home. <br/>Zim knew he had been close to being adopted when someone apparently offered a lot of money right after the auction ended. But the request was denied, and now instead of working for someone, he was stuck making smeets. He very much preferred actual work then this. Anything would be better than this. </p><p>“Is it alright if I include this footage in the letter?” Koz asked, and Dib looked puzzled. </p><p>“Footage?” Dib tilted his head.</p><p>“Yes. We have a security camera in every room- it’s hidden in the vent up there.” Koz pointed to the top left corner of the room. “It’s the best place for it since the metal bars of the vent stop Zim from destroying it.” </p><p>“Well, Zim is pretty destructive. I’m surprised this place is as neat as it is..” Dib looked around- there was a bed, something that looked like a scratching post, a wardrobe, a bath tub that looked like a mini inflatable pool, a T.V, some kind of heating pad on the floor and a bucket. There was also a hatch against the far side of the room, and Dib wondered where it lead to. Koz followed Dib's gaze, and chuckled.</p><p>“That would be the room to the litter box and laundry chute. It’s a fairly tiny room, with a dispenser for Zim to put dirty clothes in. Don’t worry, it’s too small of a space for him to escape!” Koz smiled, pointing to the green light above the small door. “Green light means his litter box is good for now. Red means it needs cleaning.” </p><p>“..Cool. So what’s the other stuff for?” Dib asked, trying to start a conversation to distract himself from Zim’s exposed alien tits right below him. </p><p>“I’d be happy to explain. The bath is for Zim to clean himself, and play in. We use a special kind of water that’s safe for Irkens. The bath has a ramp because it’s easier for Zim to get in when he’s carrying smeets.” Koz then looked towards the scratching post.</p><p>“That’s for his claws. We can’t have Irken’s scratching the handlers- so Zim takes care of them himself. It’s easier this way for everyone.” </p><p>“Next to it is the wardrobe for his clothes." He then started pointing to various things around the room. "and that’s a trash can for him to throw up in, those are just towels and soaps, then his bed- oh!” Koz has skimmed though the boring things, but stopped at the T.V. </p><p>“Zim loves his T.V! Every morning we give him- and all Irkens- a test on the T.V. It’s more like a set of puzzles for him to complete, and once he’s done he gets to have access to the shows we allow Irkens to watch. If he scores well on the test for that day, he gets a strawberry flavoured chew from the dispenser under the T.V. Irken’s need to have one at least twice a week for their teeth.” </p><p>“He usually likes to watch T.V whilst laying on the heating pad- or cooling pad. It can be either, and Zim can change the settings on the T.V too.” Koz smiled. </p><p>“..That’s cool. So the tests.. are they like to exercise his brain?” </p><p>“Yes. Zim tends to score well most of the time!“ </p><p>Dib smiled back before looking down at Zim. The Irken seemed happy and content, his eyes still fixed on Dib as the bottle continued to suck light pink milk out of Zim. <br/>The human couldn’t help but stare at his arch nemesis’s tits- dirty thoughts kept popping up in his mind. Why did Irken’s have to look so perfect? Why did Zim have to look so perfect?</p><p>“Impressive for a small Irken, right?” Koz chuckled. “It’s because of the number of litter’s he’s had. More smeets, more milk- bigger breasts for nursing.” He waved his hand around as if it were nothing. </p><p>Dib let his eyes fall on the nipple in the breast shield- watching milk come out of it. He wondered if it tasted sweet- since Irken’s relied on sugar a lot. </p><p>Zim then put an arm across his chest with a bright blush, not taking the pump off but hiding them as much as he could whilst giving Dib a stern and scolding look. </p><p>“S..sorry-“ The human turned red from accidentally stating for too long, and looked at the bottle instead. “It’s almost full.” He added, looking back at Koz for directions. </p><p>“You can just take it off then. I’m sure we can save it for one of his smeets.” </p><p>“Ok.” He did as he was told, very carefully taking it off. <br/>“Uh.. it’s not stopping-“ Dib set the bottle down, looking for something to wipe Zim down with. </p><p>“Don’t worry, it’s normal. It should stop in a few seconds.” </p><p>Dib felt bad and so he used the hem of his shirt to wipe the little droplets oozing out until the milk stopped dripping out. </p><p>The human smiled before helping Zim cover himself back up. He zipped the middle of the bikini-like uniform until a bit and covered him back up. The Irken seemed to say thank you mentally, looking up at Dib and cuddling up to him. </p><p>Normally, he would have been angry at Dib. Maybe fought him. But he knew better. If he wanted a chance at Dib helping him, he needed to be nice. Not that he could attack anyone anyway.. </p><p>“I’m afraid our time is almost up, but if you ever want to come back, I don’t mind giving you a discount.” Koz smiled as he got up. </p><p>“Thanks.” Dib didn’t want to leave. Zim was so cozy in his arms, and looked happy. Even his antenna were dancing around his face playfully. </p><p>“..sorry Zim, I have to go..” The human frowned, shifting and trying to stand up. But the alien was quick to react. He wrapped his arms and legs around Dib as if holding on for fear life, trembling at the thought of the human leaving and never coming back. </p><p>‘Please don’t go. Please don’t leave me here! I will be good- I will do anything-‘ Zim mentally thought, burying his face into Dib. </p><p>“Whoa- Z-Zim??” Dib blushed again, not sure of what to do. He looked over at Koz, hoping that the Irken’s reactions weren’t going to get him too suspicious. </p><p>“..He likes you.” Koz smiled, pulling something out from his jacket again. </p><p>“..I need to go Zim..” Dib said again, trying to pry off the alien hugging him so tightly. </p><p>Suddenly Zim’s Pak vibrated, and the Irken instantly let go with wide eyes. He took a step back from Dib, but still looked like he wanted to cling on to him so badly. It was as if he was forcing himself to stay put as Dib stood up. </p><p>The human picked up the bottle, confused as to what just happened. </p><p>“That was a warning.” Koz was holding a remote. “It means back off to them. He knows if he doesn't, a shock will follow.” He said plainly, and now Dib knew why Zim wasn’t being so aggressive. </p><p>He was being abused. Maybe all of this 'perfect treatment' thing was just an act- who knows what went on behind closed curtains. </p><p>“Oh- ok.” Dib felt uneasy, but tried to hide it with a question. “What’s the ankle bracelet for?” He had noticed, but didn’t comment about it since he had thought it was some kind of shock collar or tracker. </p><p>“That is what easily lets workers here know if Zim is carrying or not. Right now, it’s lit up green. So he’s ready to be bred. If it is red, it means he is pregnant. And if it is yellow, it means something is wrong with his health or physical state. We put them on to make sure an Irken’s status is easily identifiable. In the past, a few new handlers accidentally spent hours trying to get an already pregnant Irken pregnant- and this just makes it easier.” </p><p>“Most of the training functions are within the Pak!”  He said so happily.</p><p>Zim was still looking at Dib- the human wished he could pick him up and take him home. He looked like he wanted to leave- like he was terrified. </p><p>The human couldn’t watch, and left the room with Koz without looking back. Zim stayed completely still till the two left his room- since it was protocol to do so. </p><p>Dib’s heart ached as he walked further from the room. He wanted to run back- to somehow tell Zim he was going to return, and that everything was going to be ok. </p><p>“You seem troubled.. did something not meet your standards? Would you like to consider a different breeding drone?” Koz asked politely, walking side by side. </p><p>“Oh no! I- I just.. I’m thinking.. of where to live! You see, I just moved here. And.. well, I’d like to stay close to this facility if I might end up working here in a couple months! Got any places you’d recommend?” Dib asked, trying to hide the milk stain on the end of his shirt and be casual. </p><p>“A place to stay? Well thankfully, a new apartment complex finished construction a few weeks ago! I’m sure there are still rooms available there for..one or two thousand monies a month?”  Koz said as the two made it back to the front of the building. </p><p>“Anyway, I look forward to hopefully giving you a position here! Seriously- I’m quite impressed with your skills. Zim has been the toughest out of all the breeding drones to deal with and manage.. it would help out a lot if you could be around. And-If you don’t mind me asking, where did you get training on Irken behaviour?” </p><p>Dib normally would have been panicking to figure out a lie, but this one was rather easy. </p><p>“I’m self-taught.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments are always appreciated! </p><p>I have also made reference drawings of this AU on my twitter, so if you would like a better visual, check out the link below!</p><p>https://twitter.com/torikour/status/1289026257406099456?s=21</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>